Bearcats are Prepared for First Day of NCAA Track and Field Championships

By Brandon Chinn, Athletics Communications Writer

CLAREMONT, CALIF. -- All five Willamette University athletes at the 2012 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be in action on Thursday, May 24, as the three-day national meetgets underwayatClaremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges.

After opening on Thursday, the NCAA Championships will continue throughout the day on Friday, before concluding Saturday evening.

Kicking off the action for the Bearcats will be Brandi Miller (Sr., Grants Pass, OR/North Valley HS) as she gets set to compete in the heptathlon.

Miller, who qualified for the NCAA Championships with a heptathlon score of 4,381 points, will compete in the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, and 200-meter run on Thursday.

Theresa Edwards (Jr., Lake Tapps, WA/Bonney Lake HS)will also begin competition on Thursday when she participates in the preliminary heats of the women's 1,500-meter run at 4:30 p.m. (PDT).Edwards qualified for the NCAA Championships earlier this spring with a time of 4:37.24.

Shortly after the conclusion of Edwards' race,Kit Kingstad (So., Beaverton, OR/Beaverton HS), who qualified with a time of 3:50.23,will run in the preliminary heats of the men's 1,500 meter run.

Joining Edwards and Kingstad on the track Thursday will be Jaela Dinsmore (Sr., Hines, OR/Burns HS), in the prelims of the women's 200-meter dash, and Michaela Freeby (Fr., Milwaukie, OR/Beaverton HS), who will compete in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Dinsmore qualified for the first of her two events with a time of 24.77 seconds while Freeby qualified in the steeplechase with a time of 10:57.44.

Miller and Dinsmore will represent the Bearcats in Friday's action at the NCAA Championships. Miller will demonstrate her skills in the long jump, javelin throw and the 800-meter run, as she concludes the events in the heptathlon.

Dinsmore will compete in her second preliminary heat in as many days when she runs in the women's 100-meter dash on Friday night. She qualified at 100 meters by achieving a time of 12.09 seconds on two separate occasions.

Willamette University at the
2012 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Thursday, May 24

Brandi Miller
Heptathlon, 100-meter hurdles (2:30 p.m. PDT)
High jump, shot put and 200-meter dash to follow with 30 minutes between events

Theresa Edwards
1,500-meter run, Prelims (4:30 p.m. PDT)

Kit Kingstad
1,500-meter run, Prelims (4:45 p.m. PDT)
High jump, shot put and 200-meter dash to follow with 30 minutes between events

Jaela Dinsmore
200-meter dash, Prelims (5:45 p.m. PDT)

Michaela Freeby
3,000 steeplechase, Prelims (7:50 p.m. PDT)

Friday, May 25

Brandi Miller
Heptathlon, Long Jump (3 p.m. PDT)
Javelin throw and 800-meter run to follow with 30 minutes between events

Jaela Dinsmore
100-meter dash, Prelims (6:30 p.m. PDT)

Saturday, May 26
Finals will be held in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase (1:45 p.m. PDT), women's 1,500-meter run (2:50 p.m.), men's 1,500-meter run (3:00 p.m.), women's 100-meter dash (4 p.m.) and women's 200-meter dash (5:10 p.m.)